Portable shelters and tents are, in some instances, relatively heavy and in many cases used, particularly by the armed services, under severe and adverse weather conditions. The shelters normally consist of a shell of flexible material (canvas or the like, and in some cases lined) supported by one or more poles and stabilized by a plurality of guy lines anchored at appropriate points around the shelter. The weight of large and/or multi-layer shells dictates using sturdy poles and those previously used have been considered unsuitable. Should the pole collapse, it is not only a nuisance and possibly may cause discomfort to the users of the shelter but also there exists a serious fire hazard since lighting for the tent is normally provided by a Coleman type gas lantern supported by the pole. While the pole must be sturdy for the foregoing reasons as well as others, it also desirably should have the characteristic of lightness for portability and ease of handling. The pole also should be collapsible to facilitate portability and adjustable in length facilitating erection of the shelter. Since the shelters are often erected in adverse weather conditions (for example, in the arctic) adjustment should be such that it can readily be effected by a person wearing heavy gloves or mitts.
Existing tent poles fail to provide the foregoing features and thus a principal object of the present invention is to provide a readily portable, sturdy tent pole that can be quickly and easily varied in length.